HIPPOBOSCID^E. 283 



Labium tubulosum, superne Jissum, busi injlatum, lingua tenui inclusa et 

 labro incumbente inter palpos porrectos fere vaginatum. Antenna 

 forrolis immersa prope os. Ala et halteres saepius mutila vel nulla. 

 Abdomen coriaceum, vix insectum. Pedes dissiti sterno lato. Ungues 

 duplicati vel triplicati. 



Palpi -extra fulcrum labii siti, nee cum eo exserendi. Oculi multiformes. 

 Thorax depressus. Prosternum ultra capitis insertionem porrectum. 

 Alae ubi completae fere ut in Brachyceris. Abdomen basi constrictura. 

 Ungues et onycbia imparia, utraque ex adverso, i.e. unguis major 

 ouychium minus subjectum habet et vice versa. Ungues ad scan- 

 sum apti. 



Labium tubulose, cleft above, inflated at the base, and together with the 

 included slender tongue and with the incumbent labrum between the porrect 

 palpi almost forming a vagina. Antenna deep set in furrows near the 

 month. Wings and halteres most often imperfect, or none. Abdomen 

 coriaceous, hardly with incisnres. Legs parted by the broad sternum. 

 Ungues double or triple. 



Palpi seated beyond the fulcrum of the labium, and not exserted with 

 it. Eyes of various form. Thorax depressed. Prosteraum extending 

 in front beyond the insertion of the head. Wings, when complete, al- 

 most like those of the Brachycera. Abdomen contracted at the base. 

 Ungues and oriychia unequal, that is, when the one are small the other 

 are large. Ungues formed for clinging. 



These flies are parasites of Mammalia and birds,, and feed on 

 the substance at the roots of the hairs or of the feathers. 



FAMILY XXX. HIPPOBOSCID^. 



HIPPOBOSCID^E, Leach, Eprobosc. Ins. (1815) ; Curt. ; Steph. ; Westw. 

 Coriacea, Mcq. Ornithomyites, Blanch. 



Caput pronum. Collum supra prosternum recumbens. 



Head prone ; the neck lying on the prosternum. 



" The species of this family pass their egg and larva state in 

 the body of the mother, and when born are pupae, or larvae just 

 ready to assume the pupa state, as is proved by their size, which 

 nearly equals that of the parent fly, by their slight motion when 

 first extruded, by spiraculiform points which run down each side 

 of them, and by their changing into perfect flies. Each female 

 produces only a single egg. The proboscis consists of a pair of 

 hairy coriaceous valves, which include a very slender rigid tube 

 or siphuncle, the instrument of suction, which is formed by the 

 union of two setiform pieces. Almost the whole of the wing is 

 occupied by the apical areolets, which in some instances are in- 

 complete/' 



